Portable fire-escape.



No. 866,256. PATENTED SEPT. 17, 1907. cgi'. GALNAN E A. P. ANDERSEN.

PORTABLE PIRE EsoAPE. APPLIGATIOI FILED IAN. 29, 1906.

QD d i y MMI llonzeys UNITED sTArnsMrA'rnNr onirica.

CHARLES F. OALNAN, OF BROOKLYN, AND ANDREW F. ANDERSEN, OF .NEW YORK, N. Y.

PORTABLE FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17', 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES F. GALNAN and AN- Dnnw F. ANDEnsnN, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at Brooklyn and New York city, in the counties of Kings and New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Portable Fire-Escapesof which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to portable lire escapes oi lthe flexible ladder type, and has for its object to provide a readily portable escape which may be conveniently and compactly stored when not in use; which admits of quick and ready manipulation and adjustment when an emergency arises; which will t any window and does not require the use of special attachments or window fixtures to secure it in place; which is h'eproof and practically indestructible; and which can be readily lengthened or shortened to meet the requirements oi dwellings of different height.

In order that the invention may be clear to those skilled in the art we have illustrated one embodiment in the drawing accompanying and forming part of this specification and in which:

Figure l is a iront elevation of a portion of a house, showing a window with the iire escape suspended therefrom, Fig. 2 is a side view, partly in section, of the house wall, showing the position of the ladder when in place; Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view to illustrate the mannerl of storing the escape; Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the sustaining and spacing bars at the upper end of the ladder, Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views to show the manner of securing the rungs oi the ladder in place.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, like numbers indicating like parts in the several views, 2 designates the supporting bar for the ladder, preferably made of steel pipe about one and five-sixteenth inches in diameter, and of a length sufficient to span a window oi average width, although it will be understood that these dimensions as to diameter and length of the bar 2 may be varied to meet different needs and requirements. Mounted on the said bar 2 are adjustable cleats 3, which may be slid lengthwise of the bar 2 so as to gage them to the width of the window, thumb screws Il being provided to clamp the cleats 3 in their adjusted positions. The said cleats 3 are designed to bear against the sides of the window casing when the supporting bar 2 is in position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and prevent sidewise movement or slipping of the said bar, the ends of which (see dotted lines, Fig. l.) rest against the inner face of the window casing or frame.

Depending from the bar 2 are the side supports 5 of the ladder, said sides being preferably formed of onequarter inch wire cable which is secured to the bar 2 in the manner shown, by being threaded through suitably spaced openings in the tube of which the said bar is formed, thus forming a smooth, finished, and secure connection.

Secured to the sides 5 at proper intervals are the rungs G, these rungs or steps being preferably formed of three-quarter inch steel tubing, drilled near each end (see Figsfl and 5) to permit the steel-rope sides 5 of the ladder to be threaded through them. To retain the rungs 6 in proper position, thimbles 7 are provided which may be inserted in the ends of the rungs 6 so as to register with the holes in the ends of the rungs 6 and threaded upon the side ropes 5, set screws 8 being provided to secure the thimbles 7 in place and thus afford a frm and secure support for the rungs; and one which may be readily adjusted.

In order to hold the ladder or escape away from the Wall and insure a iirm foothold upon the rungs, the spacing bar 9 is provided, said bar 9 resting on the wall just beneath the window sill and being of such width as to hold the ladder away from the wall (see Fig. 2) and insure a iirm step or ioothold. The said bar 9 is frictionally and adjustably held upon the cables 5 by means of the tortuous or dellected passages through which the ropes 5 pass (see Figs. 1 and 4), which, while they permit adjustment of the bar 9 yet insure a rm frictional engagement between it and the ropes 5.

At the foot of the ladder a piece of 4tubing 10 is provided, said foot piece l0 being preferably shorter than the rungs 6 so as to keep the side ropes 5 straight throughout their length, and through this foot-piece l0 the side cables 5, preferably spliced at l1, are roved. By thus splicing the ends of the ropes or cables 5 and roving it through the foot-piece 10, the ladder may be conveniently lengthened or shortened, by splicing additional lengths on to the cable ends and adding rungs, or by removing rungs and shortening the cable, as the case may be.

In some districts it is a requirement of the iire commissioner that where portable escapes of the type above described are installed, they shall be kept in suitable receptacles in convenient relation to the window from which they are to be used, and to meet this regulation the receptacle 12 is provided, said receptacle having a hinged lid 13 having any suitable fastening device 14. The ladder when rolled may be readily housed within the receptacle 12, the ends of the receptacle being cut out or slotted, as at l5, to receive the supporting bar 2, the cleats 3 lying just outside the ends of the receptacle 12 to prevent endwise displacement of the bar 2. In this position, it will be seen, the bar 2 forms a ree'l which may be rotated in the bearings formed by the slots 15 so as to wind the ladder about the bar 2 and readily and compactly house it in such position that by simply opening the lid oi the box 12 the ladder may be quickly unreeled and thrown from the window. Furthermore, when the ladder is Within the receptacle 12 and the lid closed and fastened, the Whole apparatus may be conveniently handled by means oi the projecting ends of the bar 2 Without the necessity of disturbing the condition oi the ladder' and consequent danger of entangling or disarranging it.

It Will be understood that variations in details of construction may be made from that herein shown and described Without departing from the spirit of our invention, and We do not, therefore, limit ourselves to the embodiment of our invention herein set forth, except in so far as we are limited by the prior art to which the invention belongs.

Having thus described our invention What we desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A portable re escape comprising a hollow supporting bar, adjustable window-frame-engaging cleats on said bar, a flexible cable threaded through said hollow har and depending from suitable apertures therein, rungs threaded on the depending limbs of said cable, means for adjustably securing said rungs in place, and a tubular foot-piece at the bottom of the ladder to receive the spliced ends of said cable.

2. A portable lire escape comprising a supportingbar, adjustable window-frame-engaging cleats mounted on said bar, a rung-supporting cable threaded through said bar and depending from suitable apertures therein, a spacing bar having tortuous passages threaded upon the limbs of said cable, hollow rungs having apertures to receive said cable, thimbles within said rungs registering with the rung apertures, set screws to clamp said thimbles to the cable and support the rungs, and a tubular foot-piece to receive the lower ends of said cable.

3. In a portable fire escape, the combination with a supporting bar to span the window, of flexible cables depending therefrom, securingr means on said bar, to prevent endwise displacement thereof, rungs of less length than the said supporting bar secured to said cables at suitable intervals, and a receptacle having slotted ends to receive and fo'rm bearings for said supporting bar within which the cables and rungs may be reeled and housed.

4. In a portable fire escape and in combination, a sup` porting bar having endwise adjustable cleats thereon, flexible cables depending from said bar, rungs of less length than said bar secured to said cables at suitable intervals, and a cylindrical receptacle having` slotted ends in which the cleated bar is supported against lengthwise movement within which the cables and rungs may be reeled and housed. p i 5. In a portable reescape the combination with supporting cables and suitable suspending devices, of hollow rungs having transverse apertures through which said cables pass, transversely-placed thimbles within the bore of said rungs through which the cables are threaded, and means for securing said thimbles adjustably to said cables.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES F. CALNAN, ANDREW F. ANDERSEN. Witnesses DENNIS OSHEA, CLARENCE HUEY. 

